The 49-year tradition of holding a Ramona Junior Fair will continue this summer, but under COVID-19 limitations, the event will likely take on a hybrid form, with some in-person and some virtual activities.
“During these unprecedented times, we realize how much has been taken from our kids over the last several months,” states a letter from Ramona Junior Fair organizers to its supporters, participants and friends. “The Ramona Junior Fair Board has been working diligently to find the optimal solution for our 4-H, FFA, and Grange youth to exhibit their projects with the greatest degree of participation and safety possible.”
Although Junior Fair organizers noted the public health situation changes almost daily, their working plan for the July 25 to Aug. 2 event combines animal weigh-ins at the fairgrounds at 631 Aqua Lane with online judging.
Jeff Becker, president of Ramona Junior Fair Inc., said animals are expected to be brought to the fairgrounds for a health check and weigh-in during the July 25-26 weekend before any possible shows or the auction. Market participants will have their animals weighed, measured for body composition and market weight, inspected by a veterinarian and evaluated for market readiness while adhering to all county and state health and safety guidelines.
“As our situation is fluid and we do not know what the county safety guidelines will be at the time of the fair, we are keeping a flexible schedule,” Becker said.
Animals would return home after the inspection and online/virtual judging of the market animals, including swine, rabbits, goats, sheep and livestock, would occur throughout the week. Possibly some home economics projects could be auctioned off as they were last year. Details about the online auction are still being worked out, but buyers should be able to register online and use any mobile device or computer to do the bidding. Information will be updated at the RamonaJuniorFair.com website and Facebook page.
“As responsible stewards of our beloved fair, we must make our decisions based on the current guidelines, not what we hope they will be in the future (as much as we would all love to provide the full fair experience to our youth this year,)” the Junior Fair letter states.
Becker said at this time it is unlikely the fair will be open to the public. He said large public gatherings are not allowed until Phase 4 of the state’s reopening plan and that is predicted to occur in late August or even September. The current guidelines would only allow family and fair personnel to be on the fairgrounds for everyone’s safety and to comply with social distancing guidelines.
Adelaide Sorbo, an incoming senior at Mountain Valley Academy, plans to bring her steer named Junior to the Ramona Junior Fair this year. Sorbo, 16, said in previous years she has brought smaller animals and a steer to the fair but decided to keep it simple under the current COVID conditions. She has also raised another steer named Doc which already has a buyer lined up.
“They’re in separate pens, but the pens are right next to each other and they always pop their heads into each other’s pens and they have a blast,” said Sorbo, who has been bonding with the steer since November and isn’t looking forward to the auction. “It’s kind of sad, but when we get them we know their intended purpose. I’ll be able to show next year so I think it will be extra said when it’s my last one.”
FFA member Adelaide Sorbo hugs a steer she is raising.
(Courtesy photo)
Sorbo is the Future Farmers of America representative on the Ramona Junior Fair Board and has been partnering with the 4-H board representative, Skylar Storton, on planning the Junior Fair’s activities for the exhibitors. Although the duo had planned activities such as dodgeball, Slip ‘n Slide kickball, outdoor movie nights and line dancing, they are not able to follow through on holding them this year.
With eight years of experience raising animals, Sorbo said in past years the animals were auctioned by the pound, but this year they’re being auctioned by the head with bidding starting at specific asking prices. She expects to save some of the money she earns from the auction for college expenses and some will be put towards her animal projects next year. Although she’s not sure which college she will attend in fall 2021, she plans to study biomedical sciences for a career in the medical field.
Adelaide Sorbo and her brother Russell Sorbo show off their goats at the San Diego County Fair with judge Joseph Pilots.
(Courtesy photo)
For now she’s busy with her home daycare and babysitting jobs and helping her family run their Dirty Goat Soap business that sells soaps, lotions, laundry detergent, lip balms and bath bombs from leftover goat’s milk.
Robert Wilson, an incoming junior at Ramona High School, said he hopes to participate in the Ramona Junior Fair even though he won’t be auctioning his two pigs, Bulls Eye and Orangey. Wilson said he had wanted to join 4-H when he was younger but didn’t have time for it, so when he found out about the FFA program in high school he decided to join his freshman year. He’s currently the Ramona High FFA treasurer and plans to show his pigs at future shows. Once the animals are auctioned, he would use the proceeds toward his college education at Texas A&M University and towards raising next year’s animals.
Skylar Storton, the 4-H representative on the Ramona Junior Fair Board and a 2020 Ramona High graduate, has been active in 4-H since she was 5 years old. Storton said she joined 4-H mainly because her older sister, Megan Barton, was involved in 4-H.
Skylar Storton has been active in 4-H since she was 5 years old.
(Courtesy photo)
This year, Storton has been raising a steer named Baby and a lamb named Shark. In past years she has shown steer, lambs, pigs and bunnies but she said steer and lamb are her favorites.
“This is my fourth year showing steers and I love them,” said Sorbo, who has been showing animals altogether for 13 years. “My steer this year is the sweetest thing.”
Skylar Storton is the current 4-H representative on the Ramona Junior Fair Board.
(Courtesy photo)
The 18-year-old plans to use her auction proceeds to pay for her education at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas, starting this fall. Storton said she plans to transfer to Texas A&M University and focus on studies that will help her to become a labor and delivery nurse.
Storton said she’s disappointed that many of the Junior Fair activities such as the annual barbecue and pie auction are being canceled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, especially because this is her final year of raising and showing animals.
“Everything’s been different this year and it’s obviously been challenging to go through,” she said. “I’m hoping things will start opening up more. A lot of things are starting to open like amusement parks so, hopefully, we’ll be able to figure something out.”
"flow" - Google News
June 24, 2020 at 11:05PM
https://ift.tt/2Z66qCf
Junior Fair organizers go with the flow of a fluid COVID situation - Ramona Sentinel
"flow" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Sw6Z5O
https://ift.tt/2zNW3tO
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Junior Fair organizers go with the flow of a fluid COVID situation - Ramona Sentinel"
Post a Comment